Office-Based Docs' Use of Certified EHRs Increasing, CDC Data Show

Nearly 75% of office-based providers in 2014 had a certified electronic health record system, up from 68% in 2013, according to new CDC data, STAT News‘ “Morning Rounds” reports (Thielking, “Morning Rounds,” STAT News, 1/27). Eligible professionals must use EHRs certified by the federal government under the meaningful use program. The program was created under the 2009 economic stimulus package to enable providers who demonstrate meaningful use of certified EHRs to qualify for Medicaid and Medicare incentive payments (iHealthBeat, 10/7/15). The CDC data are based on the 2014 National Electronic Health Records survey. According to CDC, the percentage of office-based providers who had a certified EHR system varied by state, ranging from 88.6% in Minnesota to 58.8% in Alaska. Of the 74.1% of office-based physicians with a certified EHR in 2014, 32.5% were electronically sharing patient data with external providers, compared with 16.8% of office-based providers who did not have a certified EHR system (CDC data, January 2016). The data show that the percentage of certified EHR users who electronically shared data externally also varied by state, ranging from about 59% in North Dakota to 18% in New Jersey (Tahir et al., “Morning eHealth,” Politico, 1/27). Source: iHealthBeat | 1/27/16